Connor Goldson's Rangers importance and why Jack Simpson could be his long-term replacement

Connor Goldson arrived from Brighton with a point to prove. Then aged 25, he left the Premier League heading into his peak years, with the lure of working under Steven Gerrard at Ibrox having, in his words, a “massive influence” on his decision to move north.

His Rangers career began with some hugely impressive defensive performances in the Europa League qualifying rounds, as Rangers reached the group stage. Last year he was impeccable in the defence that won title number 55.

There were moments when the 28-year-old was criticised during the 2019/20 season. However, the acrimony directed his way after he was at fault for the only goal in a 1-0 home defeat to Hamilton in 2020 is a far cry from the stead in which he is now held.

Naturally, his performances last year are likely to lead to attention for his services.

The four-year deal Goldson signed when he arrived in Govan is now in its final 12 months, prompting discussion over where his long-term future lies.

What is the contract situation?

A big part of squad building is retention. Sure, a new contract may not always whet the appetite in quite the same way a new player does, but it is often of more value. Negotiating a transfer fee for a player is far more difficult when their deal is due to run out the following summer, as opposed to being tied down on a long-term contract.

READ MORE: Connor Goldson was Rangers' colossus of 55 and has earned time to decide his future - Jonny McFarlane

Aside from Goldson, all of Rangers’ key assets that could be sold for a sizeable profit are tied down beyond next summer. Glen Kamara and Alfredo Morelos may not extend their current contracts which run until 2023, but Rangers remain in a strong bargaining position. 

Turning 29 later this year, Goldson probably only has ‘one more big contract in him’ to use a cliche. That’s not to say he is nearing the end of his career, though. To play the volume of games that Goldson does, his conditioning has to be excellent. It’s not hard to envision a professional like him playing late into his 30s.

But it’s unlikely that a top-level team would pay huge money for him if he signs a new long-term deal in Scotland, given his advancing years.

It seems likely Rangers will prioritise keeping Goldson this summer as they aim to make the Champions League and bring more silverware to Ibrox.

The alternative of selling him in a covid-depressed market seems unlikely to yield a valuation that matches his worth.

The defender may leave next summer, but it seems unlikely any such move will occur before this window shuts.

Gerrard’s side has had periods of success without James Tavernier, Morelos, Allan McGregor, Steven Davis and Kamara in their starting 11, and even Ryan Kent at the start of the 19/20 season.

But the prospect of this side not boasting Goldson at the back is a leap into the unknown, with the defender having played 95% of the matches Steven Gerrard has managed at Rangers.

Put simply, we don’t really have an idea of how this Rangers team functions without Goldson. But what is it that makes him so fundamental to his side?

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Goldson is Rangers’ ball-player from the back, a role made all the more important because, for McGregor’s strengths, accurate distribution is not his best asset.

He receives often from McGregor at goal kicks, can take the ball into midfield and his trademark switch of play is a great weapon for Rangers. He is extremely comfortable on the ball and can invite pressure as he waits for gaps to open ahead of him.

As we touched on in our piece on Alfredo Morelos’ evolution, possessing the ability to play through or over teams makes Rangers unpredictable. In Morelos’ case, he can drop and receive the ball but is equally adept at rolling a defender out wide and running through on goal. That dual-threat makes it hard to predict what he and Rangers will do.

Similarly, teams know that Rangers can play through them if they sit off, possess top-class delivery if they’re shown wide, but can also expose a higher line and stretch the game through Goldson’s distribution if the opposition chooses to push further up the pitch.

One of the key developments throughout Gerrard’s time at Rangers has been the increase in these lofted balls to switch play. Rangers in the past under Gerrard played in front of teams too often.

The ability to disrupt a backline through high balls, or move a defence through switches of play, means the opposition have to account for this threat when setting up defensively.

According to StatsBomb, Goldson played 241 successful high passes in the Scottish Premiership last season.

Whether it be Fil Helander or Leon Balogun playing next to Goldson, Rangers’ vice-captain was always the main distributor from the back. A number of key statistics per 90 minutes show us this.

Goldson’s long passes per 90 and passes into the final third per 90 are notably higher than either of his partners at centre-back.

It’s not as simple as saying Helander and Balogun couldn’t improve on these numbers if they were to play together. But it’s obvious from the emphasis Rangers place on giving Goldson the ball, that he is seen as the strongest centre-back to distribute it.

The signing of Jack Simpson could be viewed as a long-term Goldson replacement, given his ball-playing attributes. Early appearances at Rangers weren’t all that convincing, but he hadn’t played much regular first-team football before his move up north from Bournemouth.

Comparison of his output, based on the caveat that he only played 436 minutes for Rangers last season, testifies that he is more comparable in this area to Goldson than either Helander or Balogun.

Defensively speaking, Goldson played every minute in a defence that conceded just 13 goals on the way to the Premiership title last season. As we know, sides will often play to frustrate Rangers domestically, focusing on restricting space in a low block. Rangers have developed a number of tools with which to combat this, one being the height of their line.

By pushing their defensive line further up, Rangers can limit the threat of counterattacks by themselves restricting the space their opposition has to work in. As opposed to leaving gaps between the midfield and backline which opposition players could otherwise occupy when play transitions, the game is squeezed up to suit Rangers. A look at Goldson’s pressure map from the Premiership season 20/21 displays how often he is applying pressure far from his own goal.

I would argue that this is where Rangers are most reliant on Goldson.

Balogun and Helander offer different strengths in the high line. The former is quick and athletic and can get tight to opponents. While Helander is not slow, his positioning is his strength. Goldson however can do both and is the perfect partner for either.

High lines are a difficult tactic to employ. Liverpool are huge proponents of it but were stung badly in a 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa last year. Manchester City also saw their own high line badly exposed last season, in a 5-2 home defeat to Leicester. This shows that even when you are the dominant team, leaving so much space to exploit is risky.

Goldson is so important to Rangers because as a modern-day centre-back, he can do it all. He is a threat in the opposition box, having scored eight goals last season, quick across and ground and adept at bringing the ball out of defence.

While Rangers have a depth of quality in defence, Goldson is arguably the most difficult player to replace within the current squad.

Nathan Patterson and Scott Wright may not yet be as good as James Tavernier and Ryan Kent, but they have both impressed and fulfilled similar roles when called upon. Perhaps once Simpson gets up to speed, he can do the same for Goldson.

Simply put, much of Rangers’ success has been built on the reliability of their defensive stalwart.

Supporters will be hoping that he decides to commit his best years to Rangers in the search of more trophies.